Food and food-containing refuse generated by humans often attract the attention of animals. Animals have a keen sense of smell and can easily detect food which has been discarded in containers left outdoors such as refuse bins and storage lockers. Once food has been discovered in such areas, the animals often return to these outdoor containers in the hope of finding additional food.
Animals in pursuit of a readily available source of food are problematic to human populated areas. For example, animals sometimes enter homes, garages, or even vehicles in search of food where they inflict significant property damage. Furthermore, animals entering human inhabited areas can become injured or killed by moving vehicles, electrical lines, and other human accoutrements. Still further, these animals can lose their wariness towards humans, making them a potential threat to humans. Thus, to protect people, property, and the animals themselves, it is desirable to inhibit animals from accessing containers in which refuse and food are stored.
Various attempts have been made to prevent animals from getting into outdoor refuse containers and food storage lockers. For example, refuse containers are sometimes stored inside sturdy locked buildings, in roofed chain link enclosures, and so forth. Unfortunately, food refuse in an enclosure still gives off orders that attract wildlife. Thus, it is critical that such an enclosure be locked and that the enclosure is sufficiently sturdy to dissuade a clever and persistent intruder.
In addition, or alternatively, refuse containers may be outfitted with a latch system to prevent an animal from opening the container. Some latch systems can be problematic, however, because they can be difficult for a user to manipulate. Furthermore, some latch systems typically require the user to unlatch and subsequently re-engage the latch after use. If the latch is not re-engaged the container is not protected from animal access. Additionally, some latch systems can still be opened by animals, such as raccoons, through luck, persistence, or cleverness, or by bears through force or turning the refuse containers completely upside-down.
Another approach is to build the container using heavy, reinforcing components designed to inhibit animals from physically damaging the container in order to gain access. These reinforcing components can make the container undesirably heavy and unwieldy to move. In addition, these heavy, reinforcing components can cause premature damage, such as failure of the container hinges after repeated use. Furthermore, such reinforced containers may be unnecessary in regions having only small animals, such as raccoons, squirrels, and the like that are unable to physically damage a conventional container.
In an effort to control costs associated with refuse collection, many municipalities are implementing “fully-automated collection” techniques. Fully-automated collection involves the use of a truck with an automated, mechanical gripping arm to lift a specially-designed container from the curbside, dump the container contents into the truck, and return the container to the curbside. Such a system typically requires only one person to operate because the truck driver controls the gripping arm from the cab of the truck. In contrast, traditional collection systems require one or two laborers and a driver to collect refuse.
Fully-automated collection relies on the cooperation of the residents to place the refuse containers in the proper location and position for collection. Unless the resident places the refuse container in the proper location at the moment that the truck approaches, a container without a latch system is vulnerable to animals while the container awaits refuse collection. Additionally, the container is vulnerable to weather conditions, such as high winds, that can potentially knock over the container causing the refuse to at least partially dump out. A container with a latch system is also problematic because when the container is placed in the proper location, it must be unlatched so that the contents of the container will be successfully emptied. Accordingly, a container with a disengaged latch system is also vulnerable to animals while the container awaits refuse collection. Alternatively, the refuse vehicle operator may exit the truck to disengage the latch system. However, such a procedure is undesirably inconvenient and time consuming. A container using heavy, reinforcing components may be difficult for a resident to place in the proper location and may not conform with the size, shape, and weight requirements needed to safely function with the automated, mechanical arm.
Accordingly, what is needed is a latch mechanism for restricting access to a container that is easy to use, mechanically robust, cost effective, and is compatible with fully-automated collection systems.